


And Your Blood Runs Deep

by Turntechgodliness (AmberzillaRex)



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter/Funhaus RPF
Genre: Dan is the hero, M/M, Minecraft, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-26
Updated: 2017-07-24
Packaged: 2018-09-26 23:25:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,886
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9928745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmberzillaRex/pseuds/Turntechgodliness
Summary: Their village is gone, and Dan Gruchy can't find Gavin Free. Can the Hunters of Achievement City help him find his missing companion?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I know, I'm branching out from Fakes, what am I doing.

The world was on fire. 

Smoke seemed to overtake what little air he had, the feeling of tight fingers curling down his throat to choke his lungs as he struggled to push the beam away from where it had trapped his leg, hot tendrils of flame licking at the dry wooden walls of their cottage. Outside he could hear screaming, wails of agony and fear and the yells of the men who had barged into their quiet village in the middle of the night with their fire and arrows and swords. He ached to be outside, helping the others, but he was trapped, his world collapsing around him as he struggled to find a release from the confinement of the charred, burning wood that had fallen around him. Pushing with all his might on the beam he felt it move a fraction, giving him a small spark of hope as he tried to shift for a better purchase on the wood. His body felt blistered, the heat from the fire raging around him causing him to sweat through the creeper skin cloak he had been wrapped in during the cool night as he laid in bed. 

“Gavin! Gavin, where are you?” His head turned some, gaze searching the smoke and flames for the source of the voice. Dan’s face wavered in front of him, and he reached out towards it, coughing harshly as he tried to call out to his friend. Dan’s eyes caught his, calm and calculating as they took in the situation Gavin found himself in, and somewhere behind him a shrill whistle cut through the air, catching Dan’s attention momentarily before the hunter turned back to Gavin. “I’m going to get you out of there, B, but the Mael’s are still running about, we have to be careful. I don’t...I’m going to have to raise the beam off your legs and you’re going to have to crawl towards me, okay?” Gavin nodded, the world dimming slightly as a throbbing pain rushed up his legs as Dan reached to lift the beam, grunting as he shifted a shoulder underneath the pillar and shoved. Gavin swallowed the howl that wanted to escape his lips, dragging himself through the rubble and embers towards Dan. Once Gavin was clear, Dan shoved the beam away, grabbing Gavin by the shoulders and dragging him forward until he was clear of the crumbling building. 

“Where’s Ben?” Gavin’s voice was raspy, harsh, and Dan couldn’t help swiping at the ash on his pale face as he shook his head, lips pulled tight. Gavin’s breath hitched as he glanced around, trying to take in the damage with a steel heart but unable to contain the shiver at the devastation the Mael’s had caused. Their village wasn’t large, mostly elders who consisted of Healers, Hunters and teachers- no large crops, no abundance of livestock or even youths to be taken for slavery, no real reason for the Mael’s to take an interest in them. Their land wasn’t even all that fertile or useful. Gavin grasped at Dan’s arm, pulling his attention from his thoughts to look down at the red, sweating face of his friend. 

“You need to get out of here, Dan. I can’t...I can’t walk, my legs are mullard. You need to go.” Dan frowned, shaking his head frantically as he moved his hands down Gavin’s legs carefully. He could feel the swelling of in his lower legs, though he couldn’t tell if anything was broken, his fingers not sensitive enough to feel past the thin fabric of Gavin’s pants. 

“M’not leaving you behind, you idiot. We go, we go together. Understood?” Gavin shook his head, shifting his weight from both arms to his left, using the heel of his right hand to swipe at his eyes before giving a harsh cough. 

“Did they take Ben’s... “ Gavin trailed off, unwilling to voice his thoughts, though Dan knew what he was trying to ask. Had the Mael’s taken Ben’s body to use for their strange experiments? Had they taken Ben to do with as they pleased, to desecrate his remains?

“No. He was trying to get Elders Wain and Stallia out of their home when the building collapsed...he was crushed, Gavin. The Mael’s can’t use him for their sickness. I saw Sally with Elder Marcus, they were heading towards the caverns...but I don’t know who else made it out.” Gavin gave a firm nod, a soft sniffle escaping him as he took a few slow breaths. Around them, the fires raged, consuming their quiet little village in a crackling rage. Their entire lives had been spent in Slomoville and now, everything was in the process of being razed to the ground. 

“Help me up. We have to leave, B. Before they come back for us.” Dan nodded, looping an arm around Gavin’s waist and moving to stand, bringing Gavin up with him the best he could while keeping watch around them. Gavin struggled with rising, his legs unable to hold him as he clung to Dan in an attempt to keep himself upright. Dan held onto him tightly, his eyes travelling over the slighter man to make sure his legs were the only injuries that could deter him from escaping, when suddenly Gavin gasped. “Dan, lo-” The rest of Gavin’s words cut out as something hard came down on the back of his head, and Dan dropped to his knees, Gavin collapsing beside him as the Hunter tipped over.

The last thing Dan saw before the darkness closed in on him was the look of horror written across Gavin’s face, the other man reaching towards him as everything faded out.


	2. Chapter 2

Consciousness came with pain and the echoing sound of someone repeating the word ‘hey’ over and over. Dan pushed his way through the sea of black empty void towards the noise, opening his eyes hesitantly before slamming them closed at the painfully bright light in his face. Somewhere above him someone let out a soft curse, and behind his eyelids the light dimmed rapidly. 

“Sorry, sorry. You can open your eyes, slowly, I took the light orb away. It’s okay.” Dan let his eyes open cautiously, squinting as a worried face swam into his field of view. The man had a strong jaw and a kind smile, blue eyes watching him carefully as he waited for Dan to sit up. “My name’s Ryan, I’m a part of the Hunters from Achievement City. We heard about your village and came to see if we could help the survivors.” Dan blinked, brows furrowing as he took in the man’s words. The last thing he remembered was getting back from his hunt, dropping off the medicinal herbs to Elder Stefan before…

“The Mael!” He shot up, instantly regretting the movement as pain shot through his head. Suddenly overcome with dizziness, Dan fell back into the man’s expectant arms. He reached to press a hand to his head, squeezing his eyes shut as he waited for the pain to pass. 

“It’s okay. They’ve left, and our scout’s making sure that they’re not just in hiding. Here, let me help you up.” Ryan’s strong arms wrapped around Dan to guide him up, waiting until he was standing steadily before letting go. “You have a nasty gash on your head from where something hit you pretty hard and some burns on your hand, but I think you’ll live. We haven’t found many survivors...a few in the caverns just outside of the village and yourself, really. We sent the few who were in the caverns to Roosteria for asylum with three of our own, then came to see if we could help anyone who might be still alive out here.” Dan’s eyes swept around the charred remains of the village, a deep shudder running through him at the devastation that greeted his eyes. Nothing remained; no building was left standing. Bodies were piled carefully beside what use to be the Healers home. Running a dirty hand over his face, he turned to inspect the remains of the cottage he had shared with Gavin, his heart growing heavy as he took in the sight before him. 

“Was there another young man here with me when you came?”, he asked, turning his gaze from the still smouldering frame to the man beside him. Ryan shook his head, watching him carefully, and Dan frowned. There was no way Gavin would have just left him there, even if he could have with his legs potentially broken.That only left the Mael taking him - a terrifying thought, and one that caused panic to grip Dan’s heart. If the Mael had taken him, there was really only one place that Gavin could be: Roosteria, though a great kingdom on its own, was large enough to host a grand underbelly of illegal trades and human trafficking. Gavin would be there, where the Mael had their main base and the money flowed freely from corrupt hands. 

“Then they have him. Thank you for your kindness and assistance, but I really must go now, I have to find my-”, he cut himself off, unsure as to what to call Gavin. Friend, certainly; they had known each other longer than they had known anyone else, and spent all their time together. Potential love, possibly - they had been heading towards it for years now, and while they had never outright spoken about it, both knew of the tension that often hung in the air. “My companion. He’s been taken by the Mael, I have to rescue him.” Ryan frowned, shaking his head as he reached to steady Dan as the other man swayed slightly.

“You’re in no shape to be running around on your own, friend. If the Mael took your friend, then they’ll be heading to Roosteria...that’s a long way to travel alone and injured.” Dan scowled, shaking off the hand as he regained his balance, and waved off the words. 

“It doesn’t matter. He was injured worse, and the Mael will use him for his gifts or sell him to the highest bidder. I can’t allow that to happen, I have to find him before they make it to Roosteria. I have to find him.” His voice wavered slightly as he thought of what could happen to Gavin if the man was left with the Mael for too long. Gavin had always been a strong man, spiritually if not physically, and Dan held hope that he was giving his captors as much trouble as possible, but he knew how irritating the other could get when he was trying. “Though they may kill him before they reach the city, if he’s being a sod. So thank you for your kindness but I really do have to go.” Shaking off Ryan’s hand, he turned to survey the remains of his cabin in hopes that some of their supplies had survived. He immediately spotted his axe, frowning at the half charred handle as he shuffled through the ash and embers to retrieve it. 

“That axe won’t get you far if someone attacks you…”, Ryan trailed off, looking at Dan expectedly for his name. Dan sighed, running a hand over his face before shouldering the axe and turning back to the other man. 

“Dan. Gruchy, and if you have some sort of weapon I could buy from you I would be greatly obliged. You’re right, this isn’t going to do me any good against the Mael.” Ryan’s lips quirked into a half smile before he gestured for Dan to follow him. 

“I don’t, personally. I’m a magic user by trade, and when I do have to use a weapon I prefer throwing knives. Jack should have something more to your liking; he uses a wide variety of axes, battle and otherwise. I’d really feel a lot better if you’d at least let us come with you; we’re going to Roosteria anyways, to meet up with the others, so we might as well help you.” Dan cast a glance at the older man, frowning slightly as he took in his appearance fully. Ryan was build like a Hunter, all broad shoulders and strong looking arms, with something dangerous teasing at the edge of the smile he wore. 

“Well, if you’re going there anyways…” The more people that could help him find Gavin, the faster his friend would be rescued. The fact of the matter was that Dan was willing to do a lot of things himself, but if it meant that his companion of nearly a lifetime would be rescued faster he would do anything the older man asked. “Alright. But we have to move quickly, understood?” He wasn’t willing to bet that Gavin would remain silent for long while captive, and he had no illusions that the other man would try to use his gift of Mob Speak to rescue himself. The risks involved in such a rescue were almost infinite - Gavin had little control over the actual Mobs, he was simply able to communicate with them. 

“I understand. Your friend must be very important to you, Dan.” He nodded, and Ryan gave a shrill whistle, waving at the large, red haired man who looked their way. “Jack! This is Dan, and he needs an axe. His friend was taken by the Mael and we’re going to go do a rescue.” Jack sighed, causing Dan to hesitate even when a large battle axe was offered to him. 

“Here. You’ll need something sturdy to use if you’re going to go after the Mael. Ryan, Geoff’s not going to be happy you just volunteered us for this.” Dan’s brow furrowed as Ryan snorted, waving his hand dismissively at Jack. 

“Geoff loves being the hero, and as soon as the Lads catch wind that someone needs to be rescued they’ll be completely on board. So really, we’re already signed up for it in the end.” Jack rolled his eyes. Dan cleared his throat, catching the attention of the two Hunters. 

“I can do this on my own if it’s a problem”, he stated firmly. He didn’t need assistance, after all; he was a trained Hunter, and the best in his village. He could find Gavin on his own well enough. Jack shook his head, reaching out to grab Dan’s shoulder. 

“We won’t let you go up against them alone. It’s really alright. They’ll be heading to Roosteria anyways, and that’s where we’re going. We want to help.” Dan watched the man for a moment before nodding. The two men seemed sincere at least, and really the help, while not necessarily needed, would be useful in the end. 

“Thank you. I’d like to leave immediately, if possible. My friend is very much unable to keep himself out of trouble, and I fear for his life.” Ryan nodded, and Jack pointed to where a man was calling out orders to three men who were around the same age as Dan. 

“That’s Geoff. We should go talk to him, and then we can leave.” Dan nodded, and Ryan clapped a hand on his shoulder while giving him a reassuring smile. 

“Don’t worry, Dan. We’ll get your friend back.”


	3. Chapter 3

The leader of the Achievement City Hunters wasn’t as imposing as Dan had expected. Wearing green coloured armour that seemed almost feather light with the way the man was moving, he stood in the middle of the village center, calling out directions to the men around him as though it were his god given right. Dan let Ryan guide him over, a gentle hand on his back urging him forward until they were toe to toe. 

“Geoff, this is Dan. He needs our help.” Geoff turned to face them properly, brow raised as he took in the man before him. 

“All of these people need our help, Ryan.” It was almost a question within a statement, and Dan couldn’t help but feel awkward as Ryan shrugged slightly. 

“Yes, but he needs our help immediately. The Mael have taken his companion and he wants to go rescue him.” Geoff paused at Ryan’s words, taking a moment to look Dan over properly., and Dan shifted under his gaze, uncomfortable. 

“And why is your companion more important than anyone else in the village? The Mael take many people hostage, friend. There are also many people here who need our help. The many outweigh the few, or whatever shit Jack likes to say.” Dan glanced back to where Jack was still handing out tools before straightening his spine to face Geoff, stoically.

“Gavin’s gifts make him more important. The Mael won’t hesitate to use them if they find out.” It was a risk to even mention Gavin’s abilities, but the more he thought about it, the more Ryan’s suggestion of help seemed like a good idea. Geoff gave him a curious look, and Dan continued; “Gavin can talk to the Mobs. It’s...we don’t know how or why, but he’s always been able to. The Mael could try to force him to put the Mobs under their control, or use him like some sort of...weapon or something.” He hesitated a moment before turning to Ryan. “Please, Ryan. Gavin’s alone out there with them, I need to find him and I can’t do it alone.” That was a lie. He could. He could find Gavin by himself. However, he didn’t fancy his odds against the group of Mael that had taken their village. Ryan reached out to touch Dan’s shoulder while turning his gaze to Geoff. 

“We can’t let his friend remain prisoner to the Mael, Geoff. Especially not if he has a gift like that.” Behind Geoff, one of the village elders paused where he was sifting through the remains of a cottage, straightening up to shuffle towards them. 

“Daniel! Daniel, we didn’t know if you were safe, thank the gods. Where’s Gavin? And Ben?” Dan pushed past Ryan, reaching to steady the man as he grasped Dan’s arm. 

“Elder Wein, Ben’s been killed and Gavin’s been taken. I’m asking these men to help me rescue him. Where is your wife?” The man shook his head, and Dan clasped a hand onto his shoulder. “I’m sorry.” Elder Wein turned his attention to Geoff and Ryan, fixing the two men with a stare before speaking. 

“You’ll help Daniel rescue young Gavin, won’t you? He’s a very special young man, the village depends on both Daniel and Gavin, more so now that Ben has passed.” The Hunters looked at each other for a moment, and Dan took the opportunity to usher Elder Wein to where the other Elders were gathered. 

“This friend of yours, he’s important for your village because of his gift?” Geoff’s question caused Dan to frown as he turned his attention back to the two men. 

“Gavin’s important to this village because he’s important to the people who live here. His gift is just another aspect of him. If you’re unwilling to help me, that’s fine, but I’m leaving in five minutes. I’ve wasted enough time here.” Giving the men a curt nod, he moved back towards the remains of his and Gavin’s home, searching for anything that he could take with him. Grabbing Gavin’s bow and quiver, which had miraculously survived the fire, he strapped them to his back before hefting the axe again, testing the weight of it in his hand. 

“I’ll help you, if you want. I’d hate for your friend to be harmed because Geoff decided that he wasn’t important enough to go after.” Ryan’s voice caught Dan off guard as he swung the axe to test its balance, causing him to swing wide and almost tip over. Steadying himself, he turned to face the other man to look at him curiously. 

“I’ll gladly take the help, mate...you won’t get in trouble with your leader?” Ryan rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest as he cast a look towards where Geoff had joined Jack. 

“Geoff doesn’t control what I do. Besides, Michael volunteered to come with us, so we have a Brute to help. Geoff and Jack are going to take the villagers back to Roosteria, and I’m thinking that Ray might come along too since he’s never that far from Michael.” Ryan gestured to two young men who were putting out a fire nearby; the one with red hair seemed familiar to Dan, though he couldn’t recall from where. 

“The help is appreciated. Are you ready to leave now? I really do want to leave as soon as possible. Like I said, Gavin’s very...apt at getting himself into trouble. And he’s not known to be the most cooperative of hostages.” Ryan raised a brow at that, but Dan simply shook his head.

“Certainly. Michael! Ray!” The two men glanced up at Ryan’s call, and the Healer waved them over. Dan took them in; the red haired man was short but strong looking, a large sword strapped to his back and a bear skin pulled over his shoulders. His companion was slim, dressed in a black outfit with a red cape and a mask placed over his eyes. 

“Yeah, Ryan? Is this the guy?” The man with the sword dusted the ash from his hands, tilting his head as Ryan nodded. Extending his hand, he gave Dan a strong handshake. “I’m Michael, and this is Ray. We’re more than happy to help you rescue your friend, especially if it means we get to kick some Mael ass too.” Dan gave the man a grateful smile, releasing the his’s hand to turn to his companion Ray as he cleared his throat. 

“We should probably set off if we want to be able to catch them before they reach the bridge. I don’t really want to have a fight two hundred feet above the ravine if we can help it.” Dan nodded at Ray’s words, shouldering his axe as he gestured towards the woods. 

“I’m surprised the lot of you didn’t chase after them, though I’m assuming they were still here when you arrived...unless you came after they had left?” Michael shook his head, nodding towards Geoff. 

“We chased them out and started tending to the wounded. We can always go after them later, but injured people always come first. Though the Elders seem pretty self sufficient to be honest with you - aside from the few who were more seriously injured, most of them had already gathered together and started to help each other. A lot of villages would be in more chaos after an attack. I’m pretty impressed.” Shrugging, Dan started towards the woods, trusting the men to follow him. 

“We’ve been attacked before. Nothing quite as severe, but Gavin and Ben came up with a pretty handy system after the first time for getting aide out to those who need it most.” Ryan nodded, a small frown on his face as they started along the path that would lead them to the bridge. 

“I’m sorry for your loss...you said that one of your companions died in the attack?” Dan’s jaw clenched at the memory of finding Ben, an arrow in his eye and a pained look on his face, even in death. 

“Yes. His loss will be felt in the village for some time.” Ryan nodded, and Dan took a moment to push away the intense sadness that he felt at Ben’s death. There would be time to mourn properly later, after Gavin was safe. 

“If we take the eastern path, we’re less likely to be spotted by any scouts they send out behind them to ensure they aren’t being trailed.” Michael’s voice cut through the silence, causing the three remaining men to turn their attention to him. “There’s a thicker underbrush, so we’re more hidden, but the pathway itself is fairly easy to pick out if you know where you’re going. It actually cuts around to the underside of the bridge, cuts off about a day’s walk if you aren’t scared of scaling a cliffside.” Dan knew of the area that Michael spoke of; dense forest thick with trees and a cliff that spanned several miles before dropping into the river. It was a more difficult path, but the Brute had a fair point in that it would be much quicker for them to reach the bridge that way. 

“I’m not afraid of some rough terrain.” Michael grinned at Dan’s response, turning off the path to lead them into the denser forest. Dan allowed Michael to pass him, falling back behind Ray to walk next to Ryan, who had fallen into silence as they walked. He had come to the conclusion that Ray must have been the Scout Ryan had previously mentioned - the young man was lithe and had an almost graceful way of moving ahead of the group only to double back around moments later. 

Michael was pure Brute, strength visible in the ripple of taut muscle under freckled skin. He had a certain readiness to him that others couldn’t replicate. Ryan, Dan couldn’t figure out. The man had stated that he was a magic user, but Dan had never met a magic user who looked the way Ryan did. The only magic users in the village had been Elder Veis and Ben, both rather scholarly but not much in the way of physically, especially in comparison to the man walking beside him. Ryan seemed to have an air of danger about him that Dan couldn’t place, and it intrigued him. 

“Your friend...Gavin, was it? Would the Mael know about his gift?” Ryan asked. Dan shook his head, and the older man frowned. “Why might they take him then? Is he a Hunter?” The Mael had been known to take Hunters to break and use in their ranks, but Gavin had never quite fit the Hunter role. Shaking his head again, Dan thought about his friend for a moment before responding. 

“He’s not a Hunter. He just...lures trouble to him somehow. The Elders think he’s a Talent, Silver Tongued. He’s never bothered going to the Testing though.” The Testing, an annual gathering in which those who possibly possessed Talents were tested to determine what those Talents might be, had never been something to interest Gavin. “He always claimed that he was just good at talking to people but…”, he shrugged helplessly. “He’s very good at talking people out of murdering him. He can be the most infuriating person in existence one moment, and then he’ll speak and suddenly the sun shines out of his arse. The Mael were probably about to kill him and he convinced them to take him instead.” It was the most likely thing to have happened, as Gavin had done it before. Ryan hummed thoughtfully, giving a nod as Michael fell back in step with them. 

“Ray’s going to go up ahead and see if there’s any movement. The Mael don’t use these paths, but bandits tend to. We should stay here for a few moments while he does that, keep movement down in case we have company ahead.” The two men stopped walking, and Michael watched Dan for a moment before turning to survey the woods around them. “You’re keeping up a good pace. You a Hunter for your village?” Dan nodded, and Michael gave him a small smile. “I figured. You have the look. Your friend a Hunter too?” Dan shook his head, and Ryan cut in.

“He’s a Talent, Undetermined but possibly Silver Tongue.” Michael’s brows rose, and he cast a look at Dan for confirmation of Ryan’s words. Dan nodded, and the Brute let out a low whistle. 

“Shit. The Mael with a Silver Tongue...that’s dangerous. Would they be able to turn your friend to their cause?” Dan let out a snort, the thought of the Mael being able to get Gavin to be quiet long enough to take the Vow enough to assure him of the ridiculousness of the idea. 

“Gavin can’t be turned to their cause, believe me. He’s more likely to turn them to his cause. And his cause is mostly just chaos.” Michael chuckled at that, and all three men turned their attention to Ray as he stepped into the small clearing that they’d been standing in, brushing leaves from his hair. 

“Coast is clear. I just wanted to make sure there wasn’t anyone lurking around the outer perimeter of the village before we left, but we’re good.” He flashed a thumbs up, and Ryan cleared his throat and gestured for them to continue walking. 

“Then we should hurry. Time is wasting, after all.”


	4. Chapter 4

“I’m not saying that your friend’s actually a Creeper, but dude. You’re totally friends with a Creeper man.”

Dan rolled his eyes at Ray, watching as he carefully shuffled along a half fallen tree as the others stood in a clearing. They had been walking for four hours, stopping every so often to check ahead of them for any sign of the Mael. Michael and Ray had spent the better part of the last two hours asking Dan questions which ranged from life in the village to how he’d met Gavin, sharing bits and pieces of information about themselves in exchange. It was weird, being the focus of attention from anyone but Gavin and Ben, and Dan shied away from several questions that made him uncomfortable - mostly those concerning his and Gavin’s relationship. 

“Gavin’s not a Creeper, Ray. That’s a ridiculous accusation, a human can’t be a Creeper. Don’t be absurd.” 

Ryan’s frown was distracted, digging around in the pouch tied to his belt as they waited for Michael to finish sharpening his blade, which had become dull after he’d used it to slice through the thick underbrush for hours. 

“I mean, he might be a little bit Creeper, he basically cuddles one to sleep most bloody nights and no one really knows where he came from.” Dan teased, causing Ryan to look at him curiously. 

“Cuddles one to sleep?”, he asked, and Dan shrugged in reply. 

“He rescued it from a cave in a few years ago, just a baby thing. It took to him right quick, and we haven’t been able to rid ourselves of it, not that Gavin really even tried, the bastard. It comes and goes from the woods. Gavin named it Egg.” Michael choked back a laugh at the name, waving his now sharpened blade towards Dan. 

“He named it Egg? That’s dumb. You have dumb friends.” They’d fallen into an almost comradery, and Dan couldn’t help but think that he could come to like the three men. 

“Well, no one said he was original. Are you set to go again?” Michael nodded, testing the edge of the blade on his nail before standing properly, ready to start off into the woods again. “How close to you reckon we are to the cliffside?” Michael took a moment to look around, and then shrugged.

“Probably about six or seven more hours? We haven’t reached the outpost yet, and it’s about four hours from there. We’re actually making pretty good time, to be honest.” 

Dan nodded, pushing a branch out of his way as he stepped over a fallen log. His thoughts fell back to his village, or what remained of it. The Elders would be halfway to Funhaus by now, which was a slightly larger town situated halfway between Slomoville and Roosteria. Gavin had often gone there with the spoils of Dan and Ben’s Hunts to trade. He had no idea how they were going to rebuild - most of the buildings had been razed to the ground, and those that remained were ashen, charred husks that barely stood on the blackened ground. The Elders weren’t physically able to help restore the village to what it once was, and without Ben it was going to be difficult. Gavin tended to be more of a planner than a doer when it came to fixing things around the village, usually relying on Dan to be the muscle when it came to building. 

“The others will take care of the people from your village, if that’s what you’re worrying about.” Dan turned to Ryan, a bit surprised that he had guessed his line of thought. Ryan offered a smile, holding out a piece of dried meat, and Dan smiled in return as he took it. 

“Thanks. I still can’t help but worry...a lot of the Elders have been through a lot. They deserve to have a home safe from the Mael, but I couldn’t provide that. Gavin was suppose to be safe, staying behind in the village while Ben and I went out on a hunt. Instead, he was taken captive, the village was burnt down, and Ben is dead. Some protector of the village I turned out to be.” Ryan frowned, reaching to pat Dan lightly on the shoulder. 

“It’s not your fault. They’ve been working their way down south of Roosteria for months now, and Slomoville is a small village. You didn’t stand a chance.” Ray nudged Ryan, who cleared his throat awkwardly as he waved off his own words. “I didn’t mean to belittle your tragedy, I’m sorry. I just…”, he trailed off, and Dan smiled slightly at his obvious discomfort. 

“It’s alright, I know you didn’t mean anything by it mate. Let’s just...keep going.” Brushing past Ryan, Dan moved with determination to not think about the village any more. The group traveled in relative quiet, Michael and Ray piping up every now and then with a change in direction or a quick warning of loose footing.After about two hours of trudging through the forest, Ryan held up a hand to halt them. 

“I need a moment to rest.” Michael nodded, gesturing for Dan to follow him a bit away from where Ryan had slumped against the trunk of a tree to root in his bag, Ray hovering over him. 

“Sometimes the redstone magic takes the wind out of him. He healed a lot of people in the village, and we haven’t stopped since then...I’m honestly surprised he’s made it this far without needing to stop.” Dan glanced at Ryan, watching as he pulled a potion from his bag and uncorked it. He hadn’t really taken in that someone must have done some healing in the village; people whom he had pulled from the fire with burns seemed to have been miraculously healed that he thought on it, and only redstone or glomagic could do that. 

“I hadn’t realized that he had been the one healing people. Will he be alright?” Michael nodded, gesturing to where Ryan was already standing back up as he tucked the now empty bottle back into his bag. 

“Yeah, he just overdoes it sometimes. We’ll make sure he gets some sleep tonight and he’ll be set.” Dan nodded as Ryan rejoined the group, stretching his arms as he raised a brow at Michael and Dan. 

“Are we gossiping?”, he asked, causing Dan to flush slightly and Michael to snort. 

“About what, how dumb you are? Totally. We should continue, I don’t want to lose too much time.” Ryan rolled his eyes and nodded, and Dan picked up his axe once more. Ahead of them, Ray appeared through the trees, a troubled look on his face as he dusted twigs from his hair. 

“It looks like the Mael stopped ahead for a few hours earlier and turned onto the eastern path...I don’t actually know what’s that way that would interest them, to be honest.” Dan frowned as he thought out the direction in his head - not much lay to the east of the path other than a large clearing that he and Ben had often used while hunting game. 

“There’s a large clearing to the east, they may be planning to stop there to camp for the night. It’s hard to say though, they don’t really do anything logical. For all I know, it’s a trap or a diversion.” Michael nodded thoughtfully, turning to survey the area around them. 

“If we stick to the woods, we should be alright. See them before they see us.” Dan nodded, wiping a hand over his face to clear some sweat before shouldering his axe again. Ray started towards the east, Michael trailing after him while Ryan and Dan hung back towards the rear. 

“So tell me more about your friend. What sort of person is he?” Dan scanned Ryan’s face, taking in his genuinely curious expression as they made their way down the path. There was little harm in telling the man about Gavin, really - he already knew that the missing man was a Talent, so telling him more wouldn’t really be dangerous. 

“Gavin has this way about him that makes you love him and hate him all at once. We’ve known each other for ages now, so I’ve gotten pretty use to him, but sometimes I like to introduce him to people so I can watch them just be baffled by him. But he’s got a big heart, and he’s kind to people who deserve it...he’s built up half the homes and farm plots in Slomoville, he’s a bloody genius sometimes. But he’s not always smart, you know? Does dumb things.” He frowned, and Ryan placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. “I’m worried he might do something to make the Mael upset with him, that they might kill him before I can rescue him.” 

“We’re going to do our best to get him back, Dan. I promise.” Dan offered Ryan a tentative grin, smile fading as Michael and Ray suddenly stopped ahead of them, the latter motioning for them to fall silent. Making their way to where the two men stood, Dan looked at them puzzlingly before turning his attention to where Michael was gesturing, towards the clearing.

Cages. 

Seven, to be precise - made from supple saplings and vine and hung from the trees, swaying ever so slightly. Even from their distance Dan could tell that several of the prisoners trapped inside of the cages were dead, the stench of death almost overwhelming. Dan could see blood smeared brightly across the clearing, splashed across rocks and trees as though it had been tossed there in a frenzy. 

Ray broke the deafening silence. “Is there...are any of them alive?” Somewhere among the carnage, a weak voice rang out.

“Hello? Did...is someone there?” Dan and Michael exchanged a look before starting towards the clearing, wary of any potential traps awaiting them. The first four cages turned up mutilated bodies - none bore any similarities to Gavin, thankfully, and Dan was able to move on to the fifth cage with an almost calm demeanor. Ryan moved along behind them, checking each cage in depth. The fifth cage held a tall, slim man, his face covered in blood as he clutched at the cage wall. “Oh, thank the gods. Are the Mael gone?” Dan frowned, looking around, and Michael stepped closer to the cage with a frown before recognition flashed across his face.

“Joel? Fuck, Joel, we thought you died in that raid, what the fuck?” Scrambling to open the cage, Dan stepped back as Michael helped the man out. Joel blinked at Michael, reaching to grab his shoulders as he swayed slightly on the spot. 

“Michael! Where’s Geoff?” Michael waved a hand, moving to help Joel sit down as Ray finished checking the last three empty cages. Dan moved to stand next to Michael as the man on the ground ran his hands over his face. 

“He’s heading towards Roosteria with the remaining villagers of Slomoville. Jesus, are you alright?” Joel shrugged, turning his attention to Dan, frowning at the unfamiliar face. 

“Slomoville? That’s...that’s where Gavin came from, I think.” He squinted at Dan, his frown growing. “Are you...you’re Dan, right? You look just like how Gavin described you.” Dan knelt in front of Joel, placing his hands on the other man’s arms.

“How is he? They must still have him, he’s not in any of these cages...was he okay the last time you saw him?” Joel pat his left hand, smiling at Dan in reassurance. 

“He was as alright as one can be when held hostage by the Mael. His legs are both broken, but Jeremy and I managed to make some makeshift splints before we got separated...I think Jeremy’s still with him. He’s a Brute from Bostonia, took to Gavin pretty fast. I’m pretty sure they’re both still in the caravan, caged on one of the wagons. Gavin tried to convince them not to leave me here but as soon as he started talking they gagged him...didn’t want him using his Talent, I think. Kid almost talked them into letting us all go before they realized what he was.” Dan’s face turned sheet white as he processed Joel’s words - Gavin wasn’t alone, but the Mael knew about his Talent. 

“Should we bring him back to Roosteria?” Michael’s question was directed at Ryan, who stared between Joel and Dan for a long moment before sighing heavily.

“At least one of us should, yeah. Just to make sure he makes it okay.” Ray slipped beside Joel, waving his hand in the air as he started to check over the older man’s injuries. 

“I’ll take him. You guys should keep moving - Joel, how long ago did they leave you here?” Joel frowned, thinking back to when he’d been shoved in the cage. 

“Maybe two hours ago? They didn’t stop long. The cages were all already here, I think they’d planned this before they started off towards Roosteria. They’re planning on crossing the bridge and then burning it down, so you should hurry.”Dan nodded, and Ryan reached out to hand Joel a bottle with a blue liquid in it. 

“Drink this, Joel. It’ll help with healing and take away some of the pain. Ray, stay to the wooded areas, don’t travel on the roads if you don’t have to, alright? Stay safe.” Ray nodded, and Dan moved to stand, wiping the dirt from his trousers. 

“We should hurry and move out. Ray, thank you for coming this far - there’s a small village three miles west of Slomoville that has a small inn, if Joel needs to rest for a bit.” Turning, he began to walk towards the other side of the clearing, Michael and Ryan exchanging their farewells to the two men being left behind before hurrying to follow Dan, his gait quick, determined, and sure. 

He was going to find Gavin. Before the Mael could reach Roosteria.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is uh. A little late. My bad >.>

“Hey. Hey, wake up. You have to wake up so I can give you this medicine, friend. Come on now.” Gavin groaned at the loud voice, attempting to roll over as he covered his ears. A searing pain in his legs stopped him, causing him to cry out as it intensified. “Hey, woah, no. Lay still. It’s just us in this cage, you have the room. Just lay still, it’ll feel better in a moment I promise.” Taking a gasping breath, Gavin opened his eyes to see a concerned face leaning over him. 

“What?” Confusion hit him, and he struggled to sit up to look around. It was dark, and he was in some sort of cage, straw lining the bottom of it. The man sitting beside him appeared to be some sort of Brute, if Gavin’s judgement was to be trusted. “The Mael. The village!” He tried to turn, to look behind him, but the man reached out to press him gently to the floor. 

“You need to lie still. Your legs are both broken, not to mention badly burnt. Joel and I splinted them, but you’re not fit to move around too much.” Gavin lay still, sucking in a breath between his teeth as he tried to will away the pain. “The Mael took you from a small village about three miles from here. They put you in this cage with Joel, Miles and I-”, he said, gesturing towards a young man seated in the corner of the cage, cradling his left arm, whose face was half covered in a nearly black bruise. The man gave a small wave of acknowledgement as the other continued, “-and we patched you up as best we could. Miles is studying to be a healer, he’s pretty good. I’m Jeremy, by the way. This is the third time you’ve woken up in the past...I want to say two, two and a half hours? I think you might have a worse head injury than we thought you did, because every time you wake up I have to tell you all this again. Do you remember anything?” Gavin frowned, giving his head a small shake and allowing Jeremy to slowly raise him into a seated position. 

“Not...really. The Mael attacked my village, and Dan tried to rescue me...oh, god, Dan! Is Dan alright? Did they capture him?” Jeremy exchanged a look with Miles, who shifted onto his knees to crawl over to them. 

“As far as we know, he’s still back at the village. You almost talked them into letting us all go, until they realized you’re a Talent. They put us in charge of making sure you’re still alive when we reach Roosteria...but every time you wake up, you start planning our escape and rile yourself up.” Miles grinned at him, brushing aside some of the straw to show a bunch of markings in the wood of the cage bottom. “I mean, neither of us can read this weird writing of yours, but you seem like you know what you’re doing, so.” Gavin nodded, squinting slightly at the pain in the back of his skull. 

“I...think I remember. Some of it, anyways. We were talking about whittling away some of the bars, right?” Jeremy beamed, reaching over to pat Gavin’s shoulder gently. 

“Yeah, we were! That’s great that you remember, that’s a good sign. So while you were out, we heard some of the Mael talking...apparently, some of the Hunters from Achievement City are not too far behind us. They’re worried that they’ll catch up before we reach the bridge.” If the men caught up, there’d surely be a fight - which could either be good for the captives, or terrible. Gavin shook his head lightly to clear it.

“If they do catch up, we’ll have to be on guard for when the fight breaks out. Captives have been killed when battles get out of hand - stray arrows, a sword being tossed too wide, fire.” He shivered at the thought of being trapped in yet another burning structure, and Jeremy nodded in agreement. 

“We’ll have a plan, just in case.” The three men stilled as a group of Mael made their way past their caravan, hoods pulled low and muttering between them as they made their way towards the front of the line. “Do you think they’re going to stop for the night?” Jeremy’s attention turned towards the three men flanking their cage, eyes narrowing as one turned his face to sneer at them as he slapped the bars of the cage with his walking stick. 

“They can’t walk forever. They’re still human, aren’t they?”, Miles stated, though his tone betrayed his lack of confidence in his words. 

“They’re human.” Gavin stated firmly, his eyes almost glowing as he sniffed towards the men. “Disgusting humans who smell of rot, but humans.” Miles and Jeremy shared an uneasy look, the Healer edging back from Gavin slightly as he shifted into a more comfortable position. 

“I wish you wouldn’t do that”, Jeremy muttered, glancing towards where one of the Mael had taken an interest in Gavin as the wagon went over a large bump. Gavin had let out a cry as his legs were jostled, and Jeremy moved to place a soothing hand on his chest. 

“I can’t bloody well help it, Jeremy. I’m sorry.” Jeremy sighed, and Gavin closed his eyes, leaning slightly into the touch as Jeremy rubbed his thumb over Gavin’s collar. 

“I know. I’m sorry, it’s not your fault we’re in this mess. Just...try not to draw more attention to our caravan, yeah?” Gavin gave him a faint nod, exhausted already from the little bit of movement that he’d had. There was no possible way he’d be able to help if there was a fight, and though Jeremy looked as though he would be a force to be reckoned with on a good day, Gavin could see the way he favoured his left side heavily any time he shifted. 

“Does anyone know roughly where we are?”,Miles asked softly, attempting to be inaudible to the Mael around them, and Gavin took a moment to really look at the forest they were travelling through. The trees were cherry oak, tall and strong enough to hold out against the sharp winds that came across the ravine, and as they turned on the trail they were following Gavin caught sight of the small, decrepit hut his village elders had used for scouting well before his time, as well as the sound of Creepers somewhere behind them to the right. 

“We’re close to the bridge, maybe...maybe fifteen klicks? I recognize that hut over there to the left. If they’re going to stop for the night, and they’re worried about the Hunters reaching us, they’re going to move past the bridge before they even think about stopping. They’re not the brightest, but even they know that they’ll be able to defend themselves easier if there’s a ravine between them and their enemies. There’s a herd of Creepers behind us, I’ll see if they’re willing to go ahead and maybe blow the bridge before we get there, keep them from bringing us over it. Once they get us across, it’s all down bloody hill from there so they’ll be able to make better time, and I don’t know if Dan’s injured, or if the other Hunters are as well. There’s too many unknown variables to be able to see all the possible outcomes….” 

He trailed off as Jeremy and Miles stared at him, and he flushed slightly. “I...er. I’ve done some strategy before. If the Creepers can blow the bridge, and we can whittle these bars down enough, do you think you can kick them out, Jeremy?” The Brute turned his attention to the bars momentarily before nodding, and Gavin gave Miles a small smile. “I hate to ask, but do you think you’ll be able to help me get out? I don’t think I’ll be much good on my own, but even if we can get out of this wagon I should be able to help if things go tits up.” Miles nodded slowly, hesitating a moment before inching a bit closer to Gavin. 

“If Jeremy can get the bars down, I have a few things hidden away that could cause some damage. You’re...certain, then, that the Mael are humans?” Gavin nodded firmly, and Miles grinned widely. “Than I have a plan. How good’s your aim?” Gavin raised a brow, and Miles nodded for him to lean forward. “They never took my bow and quiver. I’ve had it hidden in the wagon since they liberated it and myself outside of Beaconville, but my arm’s broken, there’s no way I can shoot it.” Gavin nodded, letting out a slow breath. 

“I’m capable of using a bow, yeah. No problem. And Jeremy, you’ll be alright to fight? Are you injured?” He nodded pointedly at the other man’s side, and Jeremy flushed slightly. 

“This, uh. Wasn’t from the Mael. I tripped over a root in the woods and took a tumble down a hill, which is how the Mael even found me.” Gavin couldn’t help the snicker that escaped him, and Jeremy gave a small laugh. “Pretty dumb, yeah, I know.” Gavin shrugged, and Miles hummed as the guard closest to them rapped on the cage bars again. They sat in silence for several minutes, Gavin’s soft hissing breaking the silence before he gestured them closer once more. 

“The Creepers are willing to take out the bridge. We won’t have much of a chance to do anything before then, and according to Egg Dan and two others have almost reached the bridge themselves. Do we have anything to whittle the bars with?” Jeremy held out a piece of metal he pulled from his tunic, roughly the size of his palm and shaped almost in a perfect triangle. 

“I grabbed this when they took my armour from me. It’s not much, but it should work. I have another piece too; Gavin, you rest and Miles and I will work on the bars. They’re going to pay more attention to you than us, and you’re more injured. Alright?” Gavin nodded, and the two men began to chip away at the wood slowly. Gavin let his head fall back, eyes sliding closed as he listened to the sounds of the forest around them. He could almost sense Dan, the energy that the other man put out around him like a sort pull to him, and he couldn’t help but smile. 

He wasn’t going to let the Mael take him to Roosteria without a fight, damn it.


End file.
